NSA Chief Blasts Snowden, Media In Baltimore Talk

NSA's Keith Alexander denied that his agency gathered data on citizens in France and Spain Download This File

The chief of the NSA blasted the news media for carrying what he termed misinformation about agency spying in Europe.

National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander told a packed crowd at the Council on Foreign Affairs in Baltimore last night that Edward Snowden's leaks combined with news outlets' publication of them will increase the liklihood of a terror attack "getting through."

Alexander said data gathered in Europe was for NATO military purposes and was not gathered on citizens in France and Spain, as had been reported.

The head of the agency based in the Fort Meade area told the audience that intelligence gathering on heads of state as reported recently actually works both ways and is under review, saying he believes there is a "better way to do it."

Alexander insisted that the NSA does not listen in to phone calls of Americans but repeated that information is gathered as large volume meta-data.

The NSA chief said his agency is at the mercy of news media reports of Snowden leaks and added, "people will look back at this and say 'what they did was wrong.'"